Reduced iron, manganese, and sulfur are available as electron donors, and Fe3+ is available as an electron acceptor.  Glass also contains small amounts of nutrients, such as phosphorus, and metals that could be used by microbes. (Fisk et al. 1998).  Similar reducing and oxidizing reactions as found in the sediments could supply these bacteria with their energy source.

Hollow spheres of manganese are located in 18 Ma basalt.  The spheres have fractures with a clay mineral filling the gaps.  These may represent precipitate from former microbial activity or may just be precipitates from fluids moving through the basalt.  However, manganese, among other metals, are available in the system for a chemoautotrophic energy source.  (Thorseth et al. 2003).